Laundry apparatus.



R. 0'. MERRITT.

LAUNDRY APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION TILED rmm, 1910.

975,706.. Patented N0v'.15,1910.

AV!!!iiiiiflliiiiiiiiiiiiiiillmmm gammm REX C. MERRITT, OF CONSTANTINE,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M. J. HARRIS, OF PILOT POINT, TEXAS.

LAUNDRY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REX C. MERRITT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Constantine, in the county ofSt. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Laundry Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in laundry apparatus.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a detachable head forroller washers applicable to any style of bench and adapt ed to beadjusted at any desired height relative to the tub.

To the accomplishment of the recited objects and others coordinatetherewith, the preferred embodiment of my invention resides in thatconstruction and arrangement hereinafter described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and embraced within the scope of the appendedclaim.

In said drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a conventional styleof double bench embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection through the drip-pan and portions of the head and benchstandards, the shifted positions of the drip-pan and head beingindicated by dotted lines, and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of thedrip-pan removed.

Similar reference characters represent corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings for a detail description ofmy invention, the numeral 1 designates the double bench, which, as willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art, is devised to supporta tub on either side of the standards 3. Arranged at the upper proximalends of the standards 3 is the head or washing-mechanism 4, and in theconnection between these elements resides one of the salient features ofmy invention.

As exhibited in Fig. 1, the base-board 5 has each terminal connected tothe beveled end 6 of a rearwardly projecting arm 7, the other end ofwhich is bifurcated to form an open-ended slot, as at 8, and liescontiguous the outer face of one of the standards 3, the bifurcationengaging the protruded portion 9 of the rung l0, and a cotter pin 11, orother equivalent fastening means being employed to complete theconnection. Intermediate the terminals of each arm 7 is pivotallysecured at 12 a depending brace or fulcrum-arm 13, the lower end ofwhich is similarly bifurcated (forming an open-ended slot) at 11 forcooperation with the thumb-screw 15. By this construction it will bereadily understood that the head (comprising the washing mechanism, thearms 7 and braces 13) is removable or attachable bodily as a unitarystructure by a movement of the arms 7 in the direction of their length,the only requirement being to remove the cotter pins and loosen thescrew 15. Such removal does not affect any other parts and by simplyshifting the head to the other side of the standards, the head can beagain attached, the condition of the head or of the support beingunchanged by such reversal. Furthermore, this removability of the headmakes it an element which is not dependent upon a special support, thestructure being such as to enable it to be attached to most of the typesof wash benches now used.

With my invention, I am enabled to apply the head or washing-mechanismto any style of bench and at the same time permit of its desiredadjustment relative to any given tub, and to either side of the bench,as will be found upon inspection of Fig. 2.

The drip-pan comprises in its construction and arrangement a suitablepiece of metal, preferably, galvanized iron, as 16, with its transversemarginal edges 17 downwardly turned, and its longitudinal marginal edges18 upwardly flexed, and a pair of yoke-like angle-irons 19, each beingdisposed adjacent the said longitudinal edges and secured at itsterminals by the rivets 20. In this form the drip-pan is adapted to beinserted between the rung 10 and the transverse beam 21 of thestandards, the said rung projecting through the yokes and serving toguide and, in conjunction with the lower edge of the beam 21, with whichthe portions 18 impinge, maintain at all times its proper relativeposition. The drip-pan may also be reversed and thereby direct the waterinto either tub, and in addition, can be used on any style bench thathas a wringer board.

It should be understood that in its broader aspects the inventioncomprehends the employment not only of the means described, but ofequivalent means for performing the recited functions. It is desired toreserve the right to efiect such modifications and variations thereof asmay come fairly Within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed, is:

A Washing machine head comprising Washing mechanism, a pair of armssecured to opposite ends of said mechanism, and a brace pivoted to eacharm, the outer terminals of the arms and braces having openended slots,means for temporarily closing the slots of the arms whereby the head maybe detachably positioned on a support as a Mama unitary structure by amovementlongitudinally of the arms, and means for adj ustably securingthe braces to the support to permit variations in position of the headrelative to the top of the Wash tub.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

REX O. MERRITT. Witnesses:

FRANK H. ROGERS, J. MARK HARVEY, Jr.

